Method and apparatus for making cigarette mouthpieces



y 4, 1939- G. DAVIDSON 2,164,702

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE MOUTHPIECES Filed Feb. 29, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. 542/0? idf/z'dlio/i 0 '0 0 away ATTORNE G. DAVIDSON July 4, 1939.

IETHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE MOUTHPIECES Filed Feb. 29, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 1 N VE NTOR. 6/611 Jam @6011 1 5? ATTORNEYS,

Patented July 4, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CIGARETTE MOUTHPIECES 13 Claims.

This invention relates to smokers mouthpieces, such as cigarette mouthpieces of the type comprising a plug or insert within that end of the cigarette which is received in the mouth, and more particularly to the method of and apparatus for making such mouthpieces.

Such mouthpieces or inserts have been used to some extent for preventing the tobacco from coming into direct contact with the mouth, for avoidl9 ing the waste of tobacco otherwise contained in the end of the cigarette which is thrown away,

and, more particularly, and when composed of fire resistant material, for the purpose of preventing the smoldering of the discarded end and conse- 15 quent danger of fire. While the desirability of such devices is recognized, particularly for the purpose last referred to, they have not come into general use, partly because as heretofore devised their manufacture has involved considerable trouble and expense, adding materially to the cost of the cigarette, and partly 'because they have resulted in changes in'the characteristics of the conventional cigarette to which the public has become accustomed.

The present invention has for one object to provide a process of manufacturing a mouthpiece or insert of this general character which can be produced in quantities and incorporated with the cigarettes during the manufacture of the latter,

permitting the cigarette to draw naturally, and

when inserted between the lips of the user be substantially indistinguishable to the senses from which the ordinary cigarette of the smoker has become accustomed. Another object of the invention is to provide a continuous process or method by which such mouthpieces can be produced at negligible expense, and which is of such a nature as to permit desired variation in the 40 mouthpieces produced in accordance with the demands of the trade. A further object of the invention is to provide suitable mechanism by which such process or method can be readily practiced.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will best be understood from the following description, and the accompanying drawings in illustration. It will be recognized however, that the particular constructions and operations described and shown have been chosen for purposes of exemplication merely, and that the invention, as defined by the claims hereunto appended, may be otherwise embodied and practiced without departure from the spirit and scope thereof.

In said drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a cigarette embodying one form of mouthpiece insert adapted to be made by the present invention.

the mouthpieces being such as to be capable of Fig. 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the mouthpiece insert shown in Fig. 1.

Figs. 3-9 inclusive are views similar to that of Fig. 2 but illustrating other variant forms of such mouthpiece insert.

Fig. is a diagrammatic side elevation, and

Fig. 11 is a diagrammatic perspective view, partly broken away, illustrating my present improved method of and apparatus as adapted for producing and assembling with its wrapper the form of mouthpiece insert shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 12, 13, and 15-19 are similar diagrammatic perspective views illustrating other variations; while Fig. '14 is a section of still other variant apparatus.

In Fig. 1 is shown a cigarette having the usual wrapper l5 and tobacco filler I6 and also having at one end within the wrapper [5 a filter plug or mouthpiece insert 11.

The structure of the completed cigarette I5 (see Fig. 1) involves a body It of tobacco or usual filler, and abutting this at the end is a mouthpiece or filler insert l1, and enclosing the entire assemblage is the wrapper, this covering the tobacco body and mouthpiece uniformly, and presenting externally the aspect of the customary all-tobacco type of cigarette, as afore-described.

In Fig. 2, the plug or insert I! comprises a cylindrical wrapper I8, preferably of paper, enclosing a filler 19 in the form of a strip of paper or other equivalent materialfolded upon itself alternately in opposite directions, the folds being of progressively decreasing width from the center toward the opposite ends or rather the lateral edges of said filler and being so graduated that, when compressed to the extent shown, the perimeter of the filler will assume the cylindrical form of the wrapper, each fold constituting a substantially complete chord of the cross section of the plug and engaging said wrapper at both lateral edges. The precise form of the folds may be varied further also, as for instance certain of the folds being made somewhat narrower than the width required to constitute a complete chord of the circle, thereby permitting a greater number of folds, and if desired the air passages may be defined by tubular extensions formed on adjacent folds of the filler, or the folds be rounded instead of being sharply creased, etc.

The filler l 9 in Fig. 2 can, in acordance with the present invention, be easily and cheaply produced by simple, continuous process from a web of material of indefinite length. Thus, as shown in Fig. 10, a web of paper 20 drawn from a roll I I or other source of supply, and which may, if desired, be slightly dampened, may be passed longitudinally between properly corrugated rollers 2|, which may have axial recesses or passages 22 for the reception of suitable heating elements or for the circulation of a suitable heating medium. In

the case of filler IS in Fig. 2, the cooperating corrugations of the rollers 2| are so formed and proportioned as to produce longitudinal folds of widths so graduated transversely of the web 20, that when said web is subsequently compressed and cut transversely to form the individual fillers, as hereinafter explained, the folds of said individual fillers will be of less width adjacent the ends or rather the lateral edges thereof than at the center, as above described. It is believed that the modification of the rollers 2| needed to produce the necessary folds for slightly variant forms of filler will be obvious without further description or illustration. The folds of said web may be compressed into the desired form by passing the folded web, after the latter leaves the rollers 2|, between converging guides 23, as shown most clearly in Fig. 11, and the wrapper l8 then placed therearound and secured by means of a suitable adhesive in substantially the same way that the paper wrappers are placed around the tobacco in forming the cigarettes themselves.

If desired, the wrapper may be formed of threads or narrow strips of paper or othermaterial woven around the filler, or the wrapper may be spirally wound around the filler and fastened with adhesive. The mechanical means for accomplishing such spiral forms of wrapping are easily applied. If desired, feed rollers 21 may be employed to assist in drawing the folded web through the guides 23 and feeding the work for wardly. The resulting cylindrical stock, generally indicated at 26, in Figs. 10 and 11, may then be cut transversely as indicated at II), to the desired lengths which may thereafter be incorporated with tobacco to form the cigarettes, as shown in Fig. 1, in any suitable or preferred manner.

In Fig. 12 is illustrated a variation of the general folding plan above described and shown in the preceding figures. The rollers 212 for folding the web to form the filler I92 shown in these figures are so corrugated as to form a plurality of groups of folds, said folds being of different widths, being correspondingly and symmetrically arranged in the several groups, and being preferably alternately sharp and rounded as indicated at 33 and 34 respectively. The guide 232 is so constructed as to bend the folded web into circular form in cross section with the sharp folds 33 directed inwardly toward the center and the rounded folds 34 disposed at the periphery. Said guide 232 is of complete tubular form and may be provided with interior guiding fins 35 to assist in the even disposition of the folds.

In all of the embodiments and modes of practicing the invention above described the web material is folded longitudinally in accordance with some definite plan before being gathered and compressed laterally into cyindrical form, folding rollers being shown in each instance, although it will be obvious that at least some of the plans of folding can be equally well accomplished by drawing the web through fixed guides of suitable form. Such a construction is shown in Fig. 14, in which the fixed guides are indicated at i 2|.

If desired, the paper of which the fillers are formed may be creped, in which case it is desirable that the folding rollers be such as to avoid compressing the paper in the direction of its thickness thereby destroying the creping.

Definite folding can, however, be entirely omitted in the case of certain materials, as for example such crepe paper. Such paper, while relatively stiff and substantially inelastic in one direction, that is to say, the direction in which the crinkles or rugations extend, is extremely flexible and elastic, in fact substantially plastic, in the direction transverse of the rugations and may be readily shaped into the desired form without definite folding. Thus, for example, as shown in Figs. 3 and 13, a web 204 of crepe paper having its rugations disposed longitudinally may be drawn from the roll H by feed rolls or equivalent feeding means through a tubular funnel-shaped guide 234 so as to cause the same to be gathered into more or less haphazard convolutions to form a filler I94. Such a filler can be made of any desired density in accordance with the weight of paper and width of web employed. This mode of practicing the invention, while particularly applicable to crepe paper, is not to be understood as necessarily limited thereto, as there are undoubtedly other materials which are capable of being successfully handled in substantially the same way.

Moreover, in making mouthpiece inserts from paper filer in the several ways described herein, instead of folding, pleating or otherwise treating a single sheeet to form the filler or core of the insert, a plurality of superposed sheets may be utilized. Where plural superposed sheets are used. it will obviously be unnecessary that the width be as great as with a single sheet, in order to produce an insert of given cross-section and compactness.

In the form shown in Fig. 15, the corrugating rollers 32m, instead of being wholly of unyielding material, are made up of resilient rubber,

with metallic corrugating rib-elements r such I that the latter on encountering the strip or web of paper or the like start the corrugations or folds by pressing and partially imbedding in the coacting rubber surface. The corrugating elements r may be encircling rings or preferably disk-like members between rubber sections, and by spacing the members 1' at progressive distances from side to center, the relative depth of folds may be arranged as desired.

With some grades or classes of paper there is a risk of tearing if the rugations be formed simultaneously across the strip. This may be avoided by placing the inter-digitating folding elements in progressive series, such that a fold is started along one line, and then adjacent folds are formed. Thus, in Fig. 16, fixed guide members in stead of being arranged such that they present a receiving opening for the paper strip or web in a. straight-across transverse plane, have respective corrugating surfaces in step-wise arrangement such that the strip or web of paper or the like S encounters one corrugating section I Zia, l2lb, then another, l2lc, i2ld, laterally thereof, and then others again laterally, and so on in succession, such that the corrugations or folds are started in succession rather than simultaneously, and thereby the risk of tearing is obviated.

In similar plan of arrangement to the foregoing, Fig. 1'7 shows roller corrugating elements in coacting sets, such that again, the advancing strip or web of paper or the like S is encountered first by an advance set 22la, 22Ib, of the corrugating roller elements, and then by further cor rugating elements 22 lo, 22ld, working on the zone adjacent, and thence on still further elements, such that the corrugation or folding is accomplished by successive elements rather than all simultaneously.

In the form shown in Fig. 18, a plurality of strands 2a, each from its source of supply on spool 3a, is directed to a funnel-like guide to, and thereby shaped together into substantially cylindrical form. Coacting with the guide is a wrapper paper la fed from a suitable source of supply or roll 8a, and directed into the turning-up guidemeans 9a, a pull-belt Illa running over the pulleys I la, Ha, Ha, with suitable drive, coacting to forward the wrapper with the enclosed plurality of strands through the sealing means Ila, and pass the cutting knife l5a which cuts the assembled rod-form into lengths l 611. The detail of the sealing means and cutting means may vary, and since some forms of sealing and cuttingmeans are commercially known in wrapping a tobacco body inordinary cigarette manufacture, and in some cases could be adopted as elements to complete the combination, further detail description of these particulars is unnecessary.

Depending upon the particular form of the strands as fed to the assembling guide 6a, the detail of the cross section of the finished mouthpiece portions may vary somewhat. As shown inFig. 4, the strands are of a width relatively narrow as compared with the total diameter of the finished mouthpiece, and the strands are allowed to feed into the guideway and assemble in a haphazard manner, thereby allowing ample draft openings between adjacent strands as they are assembled in longitudinal position with respect to the mouthpiece. If a longitudinally crinkled paper be employed as the material for the strands, draft spacings or openings are in any event always adequately provided. In the assembly shown in Fig. 5, the strands are of round individual section, and these may be in the nature of twine, fabricated or textile fibre, or of paper in twine form. In Fig. 6, the strands are of greater individual width than the diameter of the finished mouthpiece, three such strands being shown as assembled into the cylindrical mouthpiece, these being allowed to arrange themselves in haphazard folds filling the space, and leaving intermediate draft-way passages. Fig. 7 shows an assembly made up of seven strips for instance, all of the width of the diameter of the mouthpiece, some conforming into haphazard folds. Fig. 8 shows an assemblage in which two strands have been folded in haphazard form, and Fig. 9 shows the result obtained with a plurality of strands of graduated widths and supplied such that each forms a complete chord of the cross section, rendering folding unnecessary. Again, by the use of longitudinally crinkled paper, ample draft-way passages are assured in any case.

Instead of providing the strands for the mouthpiece from a plurality of spools or sources of supply, the strands or strips may be prepared by suitably cutting or slitting a web of material, as indicated in Fig. 19. The web 20a, which may be of any suitable material, most usually paper, and preferably crepe or crinkled paper, is arranged to be fed from a roll 2la, a plurality of cutters 22a being arranged to coact with the web, as desired. Adjacent the cutters or slitters is a series of guides 5a serving to separate and direct the separate strands or strips through the funnellike guide 6a, wherein they are brought together in substantially cylindrical form, the individual strip being incidentally folded or pleated as desired, for example as shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, described above. The wrapper-paper la is arranged to be assembled about the cylindrical section body.

in form. Coactlng with the wrapper-web la is a pull-belt Illa run over the pulleys Ila, lZa, I311, with suitable drive, and a sealing means generally indicated Ma and cutting l5a of desired detail is arranged to receive a cylindrical rod and provide the ultimate cut-lengths lib.

As seen, in the assembly of mouthpieces here, the strands or strips, as supplied from the spools or the cutters 22a, are forwarded into the guide to, while the wrapper-web fed therebeneath is supplied and turned up thereabout and sealed, and the resultant rod-form is then cut up into lengths lib.

In all of the variations shown in Figs. -19 inclusive, it is seen that a strip or web of paper or the like is corrugated into folds and gathered together into a continuous body of cigarette section form, the number of folds in any strip or web being few or many, depending upon whether one or more strips or webs are employed in being folded and gathered to make up the full cross Correspondingly, there may be one folded strip as in the mouthpiece insert illustrated in Fig. 3, or two folded strips as in the insert shown in Fig. 8, or three folded strips as shown in Fig. 6, or still more as shown in Fig. '7.

Preferably the paper or other material constituting the above described fillers is so constituted or treated as to be fire resistant or selfextinguishing, and is suitably sized. In addition, the material may be treated by coating or, in the case of soft sized paper, saturating the same with an infusion made from tobacco, tobacco stems, cocoa, cinnamon, menthol or other flavoring materials.

At all events, it will be understood that, by employing a suitable quality of paper or other material, and a suitable number of folds (i. e. proper width of web stock to form the filler), and folding longitudinally, that is longitudinally of the mouthpiece, the insert may be made to have substantially the same firmness and to im--- pose substantially the same resistance to the pas sage of air as the tobacco which it replaces, so that it will feel to the mouth substantially like an ordinary cigarette and will draw with substantially the same freedom or afford a draft substantially no greater than that of a corre sponding portion of tobacco filler which is replaced thereby.

It will be seen that the type of filler described above is such as readily lends itself to modification in these respects, since the character of the paper or other material and the number of folds can be varied within wide limits to vary the firmness of the mouthpiece or the drawing qualities thereof without any substantial change in general design. For example, by using a comparatively soft paper, the feeling of an ordinary untipped cigarette can be duplicated, while by using relatively stiff, hard-sized paper, the feeling of a gold or cork tipped cigarette can be duplicated. If desired, the filler may be formed from a relatively soft web and the wrapper from a stiffer material.

It will be seen that an essential principal of the method constituting an important feature of the invention above described resides in the provision of a continuous process for forming an indefinite length of mouthpiece stock, from which the desired lengths can be cut, which process, in its broadest aspect, consists in feeding a web of suitable material and of indefinite length longitudinally while gathering or compressing the same laterally into substantially cylindrical form,

either with or without definite preliminary folding. The process lends itself to considerable variation of choice of materials and in the particular plan of folding, where such is employed, in order to provide mouthpieces of any desired characteristics.

The process is an extremely simple one and by its practice cigarettes having mouthpieces of the desired characteristics may be produced at no substantial increase in cost beyond that of the stock employed, which is more than offset by the saving in tobacco replaced.

It will be understood that the inserts or plugs may be incorporated with the cigarettes in any suitable way by substituting them at the proper points for the tobacco in the ordinary operation of manufacturing cigarettes.

This application is a continuation in part, and with respect to common subject-matter, of application Serial No. 645,548, filed December 3, 1932, which was a continuation in part, and with respect to common subject-matter, of its copending application Serial No. 595,509, filed February 27, 1932, that being a continuation in part, and with respect to common subject-matter, of application Serial No. 427,511, filed February 11, 1930.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A continuous process of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces, which includes feeding continuous compressible material of indefinite length longitudinally while gathering the same laterally and simultaneously applying sufiicient pressure in opposed arcs to compress said material into substantially cylindrical form, with draft passages between some of the gathers and enclosing the same in a wrapper.

2. A continuous process of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces, which includes feeding continuous material of indefinite length longitudinally while folding and laterally gathering the same and simultaneously applying sufficient pressure in opposed converging arcs to compress said material into cigarette section form, with draft passages between some of the gathers and cutting into short lengths.

3. A continuous process of manufacturing cigarette mouthpieces, which includes feeding a web of material of indefinite length longitudinally while folding in accordance with a definite folding plan and shaping the folded web int'o substantially cigarette section, with portions thereof out of contact to provide draft passages and enclosing the same in a wrapper.

4. The method of making cigarette mouthpieces, which includes forming a filler by folding a strip of material alternately in opposite directions to form folds of less width at the ends of the strip than at the center, and enclosing said filler in a substantially cylindrical wrapper.

5. The method of making cigarette mouthpieces, which includes folding a web of material longitudinally alternately in opposite directions to form folds the widths of which are graduated transversely of the strip, enclosing the folded web in a substantially cylindrical wrapper, and cutting the resulting stock transversely into desired lengths.

6. In an apparatus for making cigarette mouthpieces, in combination, coacting members having inter-engaging corrugations to receive and continuously fold a web of material longitudinally, stationary conical means to shape the material into substantially cigarette section form, and means for wrapping the same.

7. In an apparatus for making cigarette mouthpieces, in combination, rollers having interengaging circumferential corrugations adapted to receive between them a web of material and to fold the same longitudinally, a stationary conical guide arranged to receive the folded web from said rollers and adapted to shape the same into substantially cylindrical form, and means for wrapping the same.

8. In an apparatus for making cigarette mouthpieces, in combination, fixed inter-engaging corrugated surfaces adapted to receive between them a web of material and to fold the same longitudinally, a guide arranged to receive the folded web from said surfaces and adapted to shape the same into substantially cylindrical form and means for wrapping the web passing from said guide.

9. A method of making filter plug mouthpieces for cigarettes comprising progressively folding longitudinally and laterally loosely compressing together elongated strip material to such an extent that one fold does not completely abut an adjacent fold to form a rod, a portion of said rod being adapted to impose a resistance to the passage of smoke substantially equal to that of a corresponding portion of replaced tobacco, enclosing such rod in a wrapper thus permitting said folds to expand, and then cutting such rod into individual plug lengths.

10. In the method of making cigarette mouthpieces, the steps which comprise forming multitudinous smoke passageways in assembled relation by bringing together, in incomplete contact, surfaces of mouthpiece filler material and forming such material into substantially circular form and at the same time moving said filler material axially.

11. A method of making filter plug mouthpieces for cigarettes, which comprises forming a smoke filter having multitudinous generally longitudinal passages by laterally loosely compressing together, through pressure applied radially inward into substantially cylindrical form, fibrous cellulose material, and simultaneously moving said material in the axial direction of the cylinder so formed.

12. A method of making filter plug mouthpieces for cigarettes comprising providing a substantially fiat continuous Web of material other than tobacco, loosely gathering said web by drawing the same through a circular orifice of substantially less diameter than the width of said web to form a continuous rod, a portion thereof being adapted to impose a resistance to the passage of smoke substantially equal to that of a corresponding portion of replaced tobacco, and then cutting said rod into individual plug lengths.

13. A method of making filter plug mouthpieces for cigarettes comprising providing a substantially fiat continuous web of material other than tobacco, loosely gathering said web by drawing the same through a circular orifice of substantially less diameter than the width of said web to form a continuous rod, a portion thereof being adapted to impose a resistance to the passage of smoke substantially equal to that of a corresponding portion of replaced tobacco, and then cutting said rod into individual plug lengths, enclosing in a wrapper.

GLENN DAVIDSON. 

